Setsuna frantically went to the phone almost as soon as the door was shut behind Darien and Serena. She had a strong feeling that Michiru was still awake. Setsuna quickly dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. She listened to the ringing on the other end for what seemed like an hour. Finally, she heard Michiru's groggy voice,

"Hello, Haruka?"

"No, no," Setsuna said a little breathlessly, "it's me, it's Setsuna."

Silence.

"Stay with me, Michiru. This will all be over soon. The timeline is going to straighten itself out, I promise. It's happening already, but you need to come over here so we can finish it. Everything will be back to normal," Setsuna tried to sound assuring. Michiru was suffering because she confessed to Setsuna about what she knew of the past. She was wakeful, and she must have thought she was going insane.

"Hm. Well. I don't think I can get up," Michiru replied quietly. Beneath her tired voice, Setsuna heard relief.

"I'm coming to get you. We have about five minutes before he comes back. Let's correct this, Michiru. You'll feel much better in the morning."

"Will I?"

Setsuna paused a moment. She could hear Michiru crying, and it was almost enough to break Setsuna herself down, but Setsuna promised herself that she was finished crying. "Promise." She hung up the phone, rushed to her bedroom, and she changed into simple jeans and a tee shirt. In a few moments, Setsuna was out of the house and driving to Michiru's apartment. When she arrived, she was not surprised to see that Haruka's car was gone.

Michiru was waiting for Setsuna at the door, wrapped in her coat with her hair tied back. She hurried to that car. Setsuna couldn't look her in the face. Michiru was completely not herself, dark circles under eyes, cheeks sunken. "I managed to get up," she told Setsuna.

Setsuna threw the car into drive and tore away from the curb. "What spurred you on?" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

"I coughed blood," Michiru told her. "A lot of it."

"It will be the last time."

They arrived at Setsuna's apartment in record timing. Setsuna helped Michiru out of the car and held onto her arm as they walked up the stairs. She explained to Michiru what was going to happen. "We just have to put the old spell on him," Setsuna said. "And then everything will right itself."

"She came in on you?" Michiru asked, appalled, as Setsuna unlocked her apartment door. She took a deep breath.

"Yes. That was what made me decide that it's all over for us." Setsuna opened the door and pulled Michiru into the apartment. "Besides, I couldn't imagine what you were going through."

"You couldn't," Michiru muttered, and she flopped down onto Setsuna's couch, shutting her purpling eyelids tightly. This moment would be the end of her sickness and sleeplessness. It would be the end of her confused thoughts and her psychosis. However, Michiru could see behind Setsuna's hardened disposition. Setsuna was despairing deep in her heart, and she wasn't showing it. She refused to be brought down. Setsuna hadn't yet shed a tear that Michiru knew of, and just thinking of it made Michiru's heart bleed for Setsuna.

"He'll be here any—" Setsuna started to speak when the door opened, and there was Darien. His face was wet with tears, and he looked as ragged as Michiru felt. The three of them stared at each other in silence for long moments, and Setsuna began to feel the ice creeping over the world again. "Darien… what is it?"

He looked at her a long time, and then finally stepped into the room. Darien placed his hands on Setsuna's shoulders and she stared into his eyes. Her face was riddled with uncertainty, but Michiru could see the knowing in her eyes. Setsuna had been expecting this time to come. Michiru felt a wrench grip her heart tightly. "You're going back," he said gently.

"Going…"

"The Gates of Time, Setsuna," his lower lip began to tremble, and his right eyebrow twitched. "You're going back. Serena's sending you back." Darien slowly lowered his head to her shoulder as his sobs overtook him, and he hugged her tightly with both arms. He held her to his chest, one hand in her hair, holding her head, and the other arm around her back, holding her right up against him. Darien tried to memorize the feel of her body, the beat of her heart. He tried desperately to commit to memory the sensation of her silky smooth hair in his hand. He wanted his heart to remember what Setsuna felt like. Darien wanted his heart to remember holding Setsuna for him, even though his mind would no longer be able to. If he could hold on to this, he knew that losing her forever wouldn't be so bad. Darien's shoulders shook as he cried against her, trying to burn every curve deep into his heart. "Not forever," he whispered to her, and he felt her shoulders hitch as she tried to contain her own sobs. "It's not forever, Setsuna."

Michiru was standing, now, her hands clutched together at her chest, her heart beating loudly in her ears. Everything was coming together very, very quickly for her, and she was suddenly filled with despair, no longer for her own sorry condition, but for that of Setsuna and Darien.

Darien pulled back from Setsuna a little bit and he said, "Michiru and Haruka, you're going back, too."

Michiru's mouth fell open.

"Serena's excuse is going to be that Chiharu arrived at Earth because the Outer Gates weren't being guarded. She's going to say that anyone else could come in from the Time Gates as well, as long as no one is guarding. There will be no way to change her mind. This did it."

"She can't…" Michiru whispered listlessly. "She can't just—"

"She can," Setsuna said softly. "She can, and now she's going to." The three of them just stood in silence. Michiru didn't even realize that she was already beginning to feel better. The shock began to set into her, and she surprised herself by feeling angry. Serena could do whatever she wanted, and now Michiru, Haruka and Setsuna would be punished for something Serena wasn't even sure was going on. She was almost furious with Serena, and she said aloud, "Let's go back on our own, Setsuna."

Setsuna glanced at Darien, then back at Michiru.

"Let's just leave. I can go home and explain to Haruka," her words began to come more and more rapidly as she spoke, "then we can just go back. It may be lonely, and it may be quiet, but she won't get what she wants!" Then Michiru broke down into sobs. "I don't want to leave," she said, her voice barely even coming out. "I love it here! I love being on Earth where there are other people! I love being here with my friends, I don't want to go back out there!"

Setsuna squeezed Darien's hand, then she went over to Michiru and hugged her. "It's our duty, Michiru."

"I know, I know… but I can't help being sad."

"Me neither."

"Haruka will be angry."

"Yes, but only for awhile. She knows her duty, as well." Setsuna pulled back from Michiru and offered her a small smile. "We can get through it."